Featured Post from Retire with Equity

The Retirement Thrival Guide

10 Self-Care Commandments that work

Sep 26, 2025

11 min

(Because “surviving” retirement is like saying you survived a salad bar—aim higher, my friend. Nobody hands out medals for dodging the croutons.)


Retirement isn’t about hunkering down as if you’re waiting out a storm, counting your Werther’s Originals like gold coins until the grandkids arrive. It’s about creating Act Two—the remix of your life—that’s lively, connected, and wildly fulfilling. Think less “retirement home” and more “retirement launchpad.” The good news? You don’t need to be at any specific stage to benefit. Whether your pre-retirement and plotting your escape from the 9-to-5, mid-retirement and still adjusting your sails, post-retirement and wondering “what now?”, or simply looking for inspiration to “accidentally” leave on your spouse’s pillow, this guide is your playbook.


So buckle up. Here are my "10 Commandments of Retirement Thrival"— think of them as your cheat codes for aging fabulously, with style, sass, and maybe even a standing ovation at the end of the show.



1. Thou Shalt Keep Moving


Motion is lotion, darling. I’ve said this before, and I’ll keep saying it until it’s tattooed on your sneakers: your body doesn’t rust—it negotiates early retirement if you stop using it. Movement isn’t optional; it’s oxygen for your joints, muscles, and mood. Don’t ignore this commandment or file it under “tomorrow’s problem.” Tomorrow never squats, stretches, or gets 10,000 steps—you do.

Start early and make it a routine. Walk, stretch, lift soup cans during commercials. If you feel daring, dance in the kitchen and startle the cat (extra points if the cat looks personally offended). The trick isn’t big gestures; it’s the small moves that add up to a second act full of energy instead of tired excuses.


Fact check: The World Health Organization reports that inactivity causes 2–5 million preventable deaths annually. Translation: move it, or lose it.


Maxim: Thou Shalt Keep Moving... lest ye creak louder than your old floorboards. And yes, jumping counts.  Take it from someone who teaches four to five Zumba, Body Pump, RPM, Flex, and Flow, and yes, Kick Boxing to people of all ages.  As a certified fitness instructor, I've seen the transformation that even the tiniest efforts can have.   



2. Thou Shalt Guard Thy Health


Hydrate, sleep, take your meds, and eat real food (and no, ketchup still doesn’t qualify as a vegetable, even if you put it on kale). Think of these as deposits into your “health account.” Skip too many deposits, and guess what? Your body’s cheques will bounce—hard.


Let’s get specific:


Water: Most of us aren't drinking enough of it.  In fact, a 2024 Canadian study by Liquid I.V. reported that 63 per cent of respondents reported feeling regularly dehydrated. Yet, 74 percent of respondents were aware of the recommended daily amount of water they should drink (6-8 glasses of water per day). Yes, coffee helps a little, but wine doesn’t count. Also, keep in mind that as cooler weather approaches, dehydration can often become less noticeable. However, through skiing, snowboarding, skating, or simply the regular course of daily activity, hydration must be monitored just as much in the winter as in the summer.  Hydration isn’t optional — it fuels your energy, digestion, and even cognitive sharpness.  Forgetting to drink water?  That's no excuse.  Just download an app for your phone.  The "Water Reminder" App is great and it's free! 


Sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep per night (CDC, 2024). Less than that doesn’t make you a hero; it makes you a cranky health risk. Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Translation: bedtime is self-care, not surrender.


Meds: Here’s the reality—According to the WHO, about 50% of people don’t take their medications as prescribed. Missing doses isn’t “oops, I forgot”—it’s a slow-motion sabotage of your health. Non-adherence leads to unnecessary hospital stays, complications, and yes, premature exits from the party. The solution? Create a system: use pill organizers, set alarms, download apps, or keep sticky notes on the fridge—whatever helps you stay consistent.


Fact check: According to Harvard, good health routines can reduce the risk of chronic disease by up to 40%. That’s not a suggestion; that’s a bargain.


Maxim: Guard thy health… lest thy golden years turn into waiting-room marathons



3. Thou Shalt Simplify Thy Finances


Paper statements from 1983? Cute. But clutter isn’t just untidy—it’s risky. Scammers thrive on confusion nearly as much as raccoons love your green bin. Automate what you can, consolidate what you must, and shred the rest.


Remember this fact: how we handle one aspect reflects how we handle everything. If your finances are a chaotic jumble of forgotten accounts and mysterious charges, you’re likely bringing that chaos into other areas of your life. Money can be daunting for many, but don’t make it worse by spreading it across multiple banks, credit cards, and half-finished spreadsheets. We want to engage with our finances, not withdraw from them because of overwhelm.


And let’s be honest—leaving a financial mess for your heirs isn’t just uncool, it’s the opposite of building a legacy. Don’t be the reason your kids fight over who has to sift through shoeboxes of bank statements and expired loyalty cards. Make a pot of coffee, hold your nose, and simplify. If it feels too overwhelming, hire a trusted professional—yes, it’s an investment, but peace of mind pays dividends.


Also, don’t wait. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and too many people run out of tomorrows before they ever get around to cleaning up their finances.


Here’s a simple formula:


Simple = Automate, Consolidate, Eliminate, Delegate.

(If it doesn’t fit one of those buckets, it’s clutter.)


Fact check: Canadians aged 65 and older lose more than $500 million annually to fraud (Source: RCMP). A streamlined financial life makes you a smaller target.


Maxim: Simplify thy finances… lest ye become the star of Scam-baiters: Seniors Edition.



4. Thou Shalt Build Emotional Resilience


Retirement can be joyful or lonely. The key often lies in how you build your emotional toolkit. Start by finding a “third place” (somewhere outside of home or work): a coffee shop, gym, church, pickleball club, or karaoke night. Bonus points if it includes cake.


But resilience isn’t just about where you go; it’s about what happens in your mind. Your self-talk is the constant soundtrack of your life. If there are many ways to get downtown, there must also be many ways to reframe what just occurred. Did you forget your keys? Maybe it’s an opportunity to practice your steps. Reframing is a vital life skill—it can turn setbacks into stepping stones, boost your confidence, and protect your self-image from unnecessary harm.


Practicing resilience also involves enhancing your self-esteem. Read thinkers like Mel Robbins (famous for the “5 Second Rule”) who promote simple, actionable mindset shifts. Mental health pioneers such as Carl Rogers and Nathaniel Branden highlight self-compassion, strengths-based approaches, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques as effective ways to reshape one’s self-image. Even parents and teachers have long recognized that positive reinforcement in childhood helps establish resilient adults. The good news? You can still re-parent yourself today by practicing gentler self-talk and focusing on your strengths.


And remember: loneliness has a cost. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, chronic loneliness is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Emotional resilience isn’t optional—it’s a form of preventative health.


Maxim: Build resilience... or you'll find yourself yelling at the weather forecast all alone.



5. Thou Shalt Know Thy Values


Your values are your North Star. They guide your choices, shape your relationships, and keep you grounded when life gets messy. Forgive quickly, return Tupperware (with cookies, if you’re classy), and keep your promises—especially when caffeine is involved.


As Teddy Roosevelt once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for everything.” And let’s be honest, falling gets riskier with age. For many of us, values become a cornerstone in later years—a kind of personal compass that points not just to what we do, but who we are.


Passing on a good set of values is one of the greatest legacies you can leave. It’s something to be proud of, but here’s the trick: don’t hand them down like stone tablets from a mountaintop. Instead, offer them like an irresistible invitation—guidelines that inspire, not commandments that suffocate. Leave room for others to adapt, remix, and make them their own. That way, your values live on not as rigid rules, but as living gifts.


Maxim: Know your values... lest you drift like a Costco cart with a broken wheel.



6. Thou Shalt Not Retire Without Purpose


Purpose doesn’t have to mean curing cancer. It could be as simple as baking banana bread that makes your neighbours swoon, mentoring a younger colleague, painting watercolours, or volunteering at the food bank. What matters isn’t the scale—it’s the spark. Without purpose, retirement can feel like a never-ending long weekend, with Monday never arriving. That might sound good for a while, but trust me: eternal Saturdays get old fast.


Here’s why this matters: Studies consistently show that purpose literally adds years to your life. A landmark 2002 Yale University study, led by psychologist Becca Levy, found that people with a positive outlook on aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those without. And Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, has documented how centenarians around the globe credit purpose (or ikigai, as the Okinawans call it) as a key factor in their longevity. Purpose isn’t just a nice bonus; it’s a life extender.


Finding your purpose can seem overwhelming, but start by taking small steps. Begin by removing what you don’t want—that’s often the most straightforward way forward. Purpose is also about creating a legacy. It’s not just about how you live, but how you’ll be remembered. You have the power to craft a story that outlives you, whether through relationships, creativity, community impact, or simple acts of kindness.


This is why my personal mantra is: Don’t retire… rewire. Retirement isn’t an ending—it’s your opportunity to craft the most meaningful chapter yet.


Maxim: Have purpose… lest ye binge more shows than Netflix can fund.



7. Thou Shalt Create Joy and Laughter


Adults laugh about four times a day. Kids? Closer to 400. There is something drastically wrong with this statistic. Somewhere between filing taxes and misplacing our bifocals, we’ve lost our bearings—time to take them back. Joy and laughter aren’t luxuries—they’re vital for our survival.

Here’s how to get your daily dose: watch I Love Lucy reruns (Lucy never fails), subscribe to a “joke-a-day” email, or better yet, send a funny joke to a friend or grandchild via text. Join a laughter yoga class, stream a comedy special, or dust off those “dad jokes” that make you roll your eyes. The goal isn’t polished comedy—it’s allowing yourself to be silly.


And don’t overlook this: Laughter is both contagious and magnetic. People (yes, even your relatives) want to be around joy, not another monologue about your lumbago. Laughter is also a clever rebranding tactic. Instead of being “that cranky retiree,” you can update your image to “the one who brings the fun.” Need more on this? Check out my blog: What’s Your Brand, Boomer? Boomer?https://expertfile.com/spotlight/10790 


Maxim: Create joy… lest ye petrify into a cranky old codger.


8. Thou Shalt Always Have Hope on the Calendar


Hope is a date with tomorrow. It’s the promise of Taco Tuesday, a small road trip, or lunch with friends. It doesn’t need to be Paris—unless you’re offering, then yes, Paris (and I’ll pack light).


Here’s why it matters: hope isn’t just feel-good fluff—it’s fuel. Research indicates that hope enhances resilience, reduces stress, and even strengthens the immune system. Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, famously noted that prisoners in concentration camps who clung to hope—even a flicker—did better than those who gave up. Hope literally helps us survive, but more importantly, it allows us to thrive.


Your mindset is the driving force behind how you present yourself to the world. A hopeful outlook radiates within you, affecting your energy, healing, and how you handle daily challenges. And here’s the surprise: hope is contagious. Surround yourself with hopeful people, read inspiring stories or books, and intentionally plan activities to look forward to.


Pair it with gratitude—it’s the ideal companion—and you’ll cultivate a daily practice that enhances your mindful well-being. Remember: you have nothing to lose. Being “right” about your ailments, family drama, or the world’s troubles won’t help. But choosing happiness? That just might. I dare you.


Maxim: Always have hope… lest thy days blur into “laundry o’clock.”



9. Thou Shalt Find Thy Person


Everyone needs someone they can call at 8 p.m. who will actually answer (sorry, Siri doesn’t count—and Alexa is a terrible listener). Pick your person, and just as importantly, be theirs too.


This isn’t about being needy — it’s about being human. Decades of research show that strong social connections aren’t just warm fuzzies; they’re lifelines. Harvard’s landmark Study of Adult Development — the longest-running study on happiness — found that close relationships are the single most significant predictor of long-term health and well-being, even more than wealth or fame. Meanwhile, the U.S. National Institute on Aging notes that loneliness is as harmful to physical health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Yes, fifteen.


Your support system safeguards both your body and mind, resulting in lower blood pressure, enhanced immune function, sharper cognition, less depression, and a longer life. Friendship acts as preventive medicine.


So don’t overlook this one. Arrange that coffee, send the silly meme, answer the late-night call. Your health relies on it.


Maxim: Find thy person… lest ye end up pouring your heart out to Alexa, Alana or whatever her name is.



10. Thou Shalt Declutter Thy Life


Decluttering isn’t just for closets—it’s for your mind, your finances, and your garage full of “vintage” ski poles that last saw snow in 1987. Think of it as spring cleaning for your soul. Bonus: Swedish Death Cleaning (döstädning, if you want to impress your friends at dinner parties) saves your kids from having to rent a dumpster in your honour. The Guardian popularized this movement, reminding us that downsizing possessions while we’re alive is the ultimate gift to loved ones—practical, compassionate, and oddly liberating.


Here’s the flip side: hoarding—or its younger cousin, “not throwing anything out”—becomes more common as we age. It clutter not only our homes but also our minds, increasing stress, fall risks, and social isolation. The Mayo Clinic notes that hoarding is linked to depression and anxiety, and in older adults, it can seriously impact safety. Awareness is your first defence—don’t become a statistic.


Follow the simple 1 item in, 1 item out” rule. When you bring home a new sweater, let go of an old one. If you buy a fancy gadget, put aside the bread maker that’s been collecting dust since 2002. Respect your space and maintain cleanliness, and you’ll enjoy more clarity, peace, and perhaps even more visits from relatives—who might stay for a cup of tea instead of rushing for the door.


Maxim: Declutter your life... lest you become the star on Hoarders: Golden Years Edition.


The Final Scroll


As my friend Lottie often says, “Looking after yourself is a full-time job.” Authentic—but unlike your old 9-to-5, the boss is fantastic (you), the hours are flexible, and the benefits are, quite literally, life-extending—no HR paperwork needed.


So live it. Share it. Laugh through it. Retirement isn’t about shrinking back — it’s about thriving forward. This is your encore, your second act, your chance to rewrite the script. You’ve got the commandments, the cheat codes, and hopefully, a few good jokes left in your pocket.


Remember: joy, purpose, resilience, health, hope, and laughter aren’t extras—they’re essential. Add them daily like vitamins, and watch the years become richer, not just longer. And if all else fails? Put on some music, dance in your kitchen, and scare the cat or the neighbours if the curtains are open.


Because retirement isn’t the end of the book—it’s the chapter where the hero (that’s you) finally gets to write their own plot twist.



Don’t Retire—Rewire.


Sue


p.s. Want more retirement hacks (and a few laughs)? I share them weekly on my new Substack — with special offers and early invites to upcoming events. You can subscribe here: 


#RetirementReset #HealthyAging #FinancialWellness #PositiveAging #SecondActSuccess






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April 1st is the one day we all expect to be fooled. Scammers are counting on the other 364 featured image

12 min

April 1st is the one day we all expect to be fooled. Scammers are counting on the other 364

Breaking News: Free Cruise for All Retirees! Congratulations!!! If you are reading this, you have just been chosen for a luxury Caribbean cruise, a $5,000 shopping spree, and a lifetime supply of… well, something vaguely exciting. All you need to do is: Click this link, enter your banking info, confirm your SIN, and maybe your childhood pet's name for good measure. Still reading?  Good. Because if that opening gave you even the tiniest thrill, the little flutter of wait, really? You've just experienced exactly what scammers are counting on. APRIL FOOL'S!!! And also: welcome to the world of phishing. Population: way too many of us. Phishing vs. Fishing: A Retirement Skill You Didn't Know You Needed There are two kinds of fishing in retirement.  One involves a dock, a thermos of good coffee, and no deadlines at all. The fish might or might not cooperate. That's fine. That's the whole point. The other scenario involves someone trying to steal your identity by congratulating you on a cruise you never booked, a prize you never won, and a windfall that demands your banking details, your SIN, and, just for fun, the name of your first pet. (Buttons. It's always Buttons.) Let's make sure you're fluent in the first kind and bulletproof against the second. Fraud Doesn't Just Happen to Fools Here's something important to say aloud before we proceed. Fraud isn't caused by people being careless, gullible, or old. It is orchestrated by professionals whose full-time job is to manipulate human behaviour under pressure. There is a clear difference between these two, and how we discuss fraud influences whether victims come forward or stay silent out of shame. This issue is more significant than most realize. Canadians lost over $638 million to fraud in 2024, an increase from $578 million the previous year, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. However, that figure only tells part of the story. The CAFC estimates that just 5 to 10 percent of total fraud losses are ever reported. Think about that for a moment. The number we see is already staggering, and the real total is almost certainly ten times higher. Seniors make up a disproportionate share of those losses, especially in investment fraud, romance scams, and the grandparent scam. But here's the part the statistics don't show: fraud is improving at its craft. These aren't the poorly written emails of 2005. Today's scams are refined, patient, and psychologically targeted. They're designed to create urgency, confusion, and fear — aiming to override careful thinking precisely when it's needed most. So let's talk about what that actually looks like. A Very Personal Fraud Story That Will Stay With You A family reached out to me recently, after reading one of my earlier posts on fraud and seniors. Their father had been the victim of a prolonged scam, one that unfolded over months and caused significant financial damage. They only found out after he passed away. Three things about this story stopped me cold. First, their father kept meticulous records. He journaled every interaction, every step, every decision. There was essentially a play-by-play account of how he became entangled and how difficult it became to find a way out. Second, he was an intensely private person. Not a single family member knew any of it was happening while it was happening. Third, he was a chartered professional accountant. Decades of financial training, discipline, and experience. Someone who understood numbers, risk, and how money moves better than most people ever will. And still. Under the right conditions, with the right psychological pressure applied at the right moments, he was drawn in. That is not a story about a foolish man. That is a story about how sophisticated fraud has become. And it is a story that is playing out in living rooms and email inboxes across this country every single day. Why Seniors Are Targeted (And It's Not What You Think) Scammers don't just go after older adults because they think we're naive. They go after us because we have assets. Savings. Home equity. Good credit. Pension income that actually shows up every month. We're not easy targets; we're valuable ones. They also go after us because retirement can come with conditions that fraud is specifically designed to exploit: financial anxiety about making savings last, changes in how we process decisions under pressure, and, for many, reduced opportunities to run something by a trusted person before acting. Social isolation is not a character flaw. It is a vulnerability, and the people running these operations know exactly how to use it. The Scams You Actually Need to Know About The Grandparent Scam. You get a call. It's your grandchild. They're in trouble, arrested, in an accident, stranded, and they need money right now. Please don't tell Mom and Dad. The caller may not even sound exactly right, but panic has a way of filling in the gaps. Sometimes a fake lawyer or police officer jumps on the line to add credibility. The script is designed to bypass your rational brain and go straight for your heart. If this ever happens: hang up. Call your grandchild directly on a number you already have. Every time. The CRA Impersonation Call. This one is especially popular at tax time.  An official-sounding voice informs you that you owe back taxes and if you don't pay immediately via e-transfer or gift cards, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. The Canada Revenue Agency does not call you out of the blue demanding gift cards. Full stop. If you're ever unsure, hang up and call the CRA directly as 1-800-959-8281. The Romance Scam. Someone finds you online, charming, attentive, almost too good to be true. Weeks or months in, a crisis emerges. Could you help, just this once? These scams are emotionally brutal and financially devastating. If an online relationship moves unusually fast and a financial request follows, that's not love. That's a script. The Investment Opportunity. Guaranteed returns. Exclusive access. Limited time. These words belong together the way "healthy" and "deep-fried" don't. Legitimate investments don't come with countdown clocks. Phishing Emails and Texts. These mimic your bank, Canada Post, Service Canada, Amazon, and anything you'd recognize. They look almost right. The email address is a little off. The link goes somewhere slightly wrong. They want you to click, to enter information, to act now before something bad happens. The urgency is the tell. No Shame. Seriously. None.  If this has happened to you, or someone you love, please hear this: falling for a scam does not mean you are getting old, losing it, or slipping cognitively. It means you are human and were placed under carefully engineered psychological pressure by someone who practices this for a living. That is it. The end. And if you need a reminder that this crosses every age and profession, consider the case of a retired district court judge who lost the equivalent of over $100,000 to a digital arrest scam. Fraudsters called claiming his phone number was linked to a trafficking investigation. Despite decades on the bench watching deception unfold in real time, fear and intimidation did what all that professional knowledge could not protect against. A judge. Still got hooked. That is what these scams do when they are built well. (Source: Devdiscourse) RCMP Sergeant Guy Paul Larocque of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre puts it plainly: "Fraudsters are professional salespeople who work a target until they close the deal and get their money." That framing matters. You would not blame yourself for being sold something by a skilled salesperson operating under false pretenses. This is no different. The embarrassment is real and completely understandable. However, it does not fairly reflect what occurred. The CAFC has pointed out that many individuals feel ashamed of being victims of fraud and hesitate to report it, but every report helps break up fraud schemes and protect others. Reporting to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is not a sign of failure; it is a vital way to safeguard the next person. A Word to Family Members re: Fraud: Drop It Like It's Hot If someone you care about has been scammed, put down whatever you are holding, take a breath, and read this carefully. Do not scold them. Do not lecture them. Do not "grandsplain" them into the ground. Grandsplaining, for the uninitiated, is mansplaining for the aged, and it is just as unwelcome. Nobody needs a slow, patient, thoroughly detailed breakdown of everything they should have done differently while they sit there wishing the floor would open up and swallow them whole. They already know. They feel terrible. They have probably been replaying every moment of it since it happened, asking themselves how they missed it, why they trusted it, and what they were thinking.  What they do not need is you asking those same questions out loud. Your role at this moment isn't to be the smartest person in the room. It's not to claim you would never have fallen for something like this. And it's certainly not to start a sentence with "well, I always said you should..." because if you finish that sentence, you're on your own. Your job is to be kind. Full stop. Help them contact the bank. Sit with them while they file the report. Make the tea. Handle the phone call they are too rattled to make. Be the calm in the room. That is what love looks like in a crisis, and this is a crisis. Now here is the part where the tables turn, so pay attention. Scammers are not ageist. They are not sitting in a room somewhere saying, "Let's only go after the over-65s today." They go after anyone with money, a phone, and a moment of distraction. Which means they go after everyone. Your inbox is not immune. Your judgment under pressure is not immune. Your "I would never fall for that" confidence is, frankly, exactly the kind of thing scammers count on. Fraud can happen to anyone, and sharing your experience with others, whether or not money was lost, can help prevent them from being victimized by the same or a similar fraud. Nobody is too sharp, too young, or too digitally savvy to be targeted. The call is coming for all of us eventually. So when it comes for you, and you call your mother in a panic, wouldn't you rather she answer with warmth instead of a very long "I told you so"? Be nice to her now. Consider it an investment. One day, she might be the one sitting you down for "the talk." And at that point, the only appropriate response is to make the tea and keep your opinions to yourself. What the Experts Say: Practical Tips to Stop Fraud In my book "Your Retirement Reset" (ECW Press: Now available for Pre-Order here), I cover the topic of fraud and scams." I wanted to address this issue in depth because fraud prevention is not a footnote in retirement planning. It belongs front and center. Here is an excerpt of Chapter 9 of the book: "Remember the old saying, 'Nothing ever comes free'? While it is hard for many seasoned Canadians not to trust a caller, unfortunately, that's the way of the world today. Here are some tips for protecting yourself. Be skeptical. Be wary of unsolicited phone calls, emails, or messages, especially those asking for personal information or money. Don't take their word for it. Ask the person for their details. If they say they are calling from your bank, get their name and branch number and call your bank for verification. If the message is in an email, contact the institution identified in the email. Do not respond right away, ever. Don't share personal information. Never share personal, financial, or health information with unknown individuals or organizations. Consult trusted individuals. Discuss suspicious offers or communications with family members, friends, or trusted advisors. This is especially important if you are asked to donate to a charity or make any kind of financial investment. Use technology wisely. Install antivirus software, create strong passwords, and stay alert to phishing tactics such as harmful links in texts or emails. Use the block feature on your phone to cut off repeat callers you suspect are fraud artists. Work closely with your financial institution. Ask your bank to send alerts for any unusual activity on your account. Review your statements every month and report unauthorized transactions immediately. Report suspicious activity. If you suspect a scam has targeted you, contact the police. Stay informed. Keep up to date on prevalent scams aimed at older adults. A quick Google search on any unsolicited information request can often tell you whether it has already been flagged. These scams are frequently reported to authorities and featured in the media and on consumer advocacy websites." How to Stay Off the Hook When It Comes to Fraud A little friction can be helpful. Scammers depend on speed, on you reacting before you think. The best thing you can do is slow down. Avoid clicking links in unexpected messages; instead, go directly to the company's website by typing it yourself. Call back on a number you find independently, not one provided in the suspicious message. Check email addresses carefully, as a transposed letter can sometimes be all it takes. Keep your devices updated, since those updates fix real vulnerabilities. Discuss these topics openly. With your kids, friends, book club, or the person behind you in the coffee line. Scams flourish in silence and shame. Talking honestly is one of our strongest protections. In retirement, urgency belongs in spin class. Not your inbox. What to Do If You Took the Bait No judgment here. These scams are truly sophisticated. Smart, experienced, financially educated people fall for them, as we've just established. If you think you've been scammed, stop engaging immediately, change your passwords, contact your bank to flag or freeze your account, run a security scan on your device, and report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. Reporting matters even if you cannot recover the money. It protects the next person in line. Think of it as cutting the line before the fish swims off with your whole tackle box. 3 Things Worth Setting Up This Week to Protect Yourself from Fraud These take 20 minutes and quietly protect you around the clock. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second verification step. It's usually a text code. And it helps ensure that a stolen password alone won't give access to your accounts. Credit Card controls allow you to lock and unlock your debit or credit card instantly through your bank's app, so if something seems suspicious, you can freeze it within seconds. Real-time alerts enable you to set notifications for any transaction over a threshold you specify, so if someone is spending your money, you are informed immediately, rather than finding out at the end of the month when the damage is already done. Don't Get Hooked by Fraud.  Retirement should be about freedom. The freedom to fish from a proper dock, travel somewhere warm, and spend your money on things that truly bring you happiness. It's not meant to involve fake urgency, suspicious links, or people who want your SIN and the name of your childhood cat. We Need to Do More to Protect Seniors The fraud prevention system in this country, to be frank, hasn't kept pace with the rise of fraud itself. That gap is real, it's growing, and it needs more attention than it currently gets. Meanwhile, the best we can do is stay informed, keep in touch with trusted people, and not let embarrassment prevent us from seeking help or reporting what happened. You worked hard for what you have. You deserve to enjoy it without looking over your shoulder. So enjoy the lake. Take the cruise — a real one that you booked yourself. Spend wisely, live well, and protect what's yours. And if anyone ever tells you that you've won something you never entered? Smile. Wish them a Happy April Fool's. Then hang up. Have a scam story, a close call, or thoughts on what fraud prevention is getting right or getting wrong? I would love to hear from you. Drop it in the comments or send me a note. This is exactly the kind of conversation we should all be having, and the more real experiences we share, the better equipped we all are to protect each other. Sue Don't Retire…ReWire! My Book is Now Available for Pre-Order If this message speaks to you, or to someone you love, I hope you will pre-order a copy of Your Retirement Reset. Available September 8, 2026. Here's the link. And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you.

Your Retirement Reset: My New Book will Be in Stores on Sept. 8th featured image

6 min

Your Retirement Reset: My New Book will Be in Stores on Sept. 8th

This one has been a long time coming. My new book, Your Retirement Reset: How to Convert Home Equity into Financial Security, published by ECW Press, finally has a publication date. Why I Wrote This Book I have spent decades watching far too many older Canadians carry unnecessary financial stress into what should be a more secure and dignified stage of life.  Throughout my career as a mortgage broker, business owner, and later as an executive at HomeEquity Bank, I saw the same painful pattern again and again: people who had worked hard, paid down their homes, built real equity, and still felt trapped. Many were living with fear, cutting back on basic pleasures, worrying about every bill, and feeling ashamed that they had not “saved enough.” Meanwhile, a major asset was sitting right beneath their feet. What struck me most was this: younger homeowners often see home equity as a financial tool, but many retirees do not. For many older Canadians, the idea of borrowing against their home feels frightening, even when it could improve their quality of life and help them stay independent. This resistance is not just about math. It is emotional. It is psychological. And it is deeply tied to identity, security, family, and fear. The Retirement Problem We Are Not Talking About Honestly Enough The old retirement script is failing too many people. We are living longer. The cost of living keeps rising. Private sector pensions have largely disappeared. Healthcare and long-term care costs are real concerns. And many people reaching retirement are discovering, far too late, that the traditional advice to simply save, downsize, and make do does not reflect today’s reality. At the same time, most older Canadians want to age in place. They want to remain in the homes and communities they know and love. They do not want to be pushed into selling, renting, or moving in with family unless they truly choose that path. Yet many are gripped by what I call FORO — Fear of Running Out. That fear shapes countless decisions and robs people of peace of mind. It’s actually rooted in neuroscience and the way we’re wired to behave as we do. I’ve posted about this here in my newsletter and Substack a lot. Because it’s important. This is not a fringe issue. It is a national issue. And it deserves a more honest conversation. Why This Book Matters for Canadians 55+ There is a critical gap in this country when it comes to retirement literacy. Many Canadians over 55 have substantial value tied up in their homes, yet traditional retirement advice often does not seriously incorporate home equity into the conversation. At the same time, the information people do find is often fragmented, biased, overly technical, or scattered across lenders, planners, brokers, lawyers, accountants, media stories, and well-meaning family members. That leaves people vulnerable. They may rely on outdated assumptions. They may wait too long to explore options. They may make decisions out of fear rather than clarity. And because older adults usually do not have decades to recover from a financial mistake, the stakes are high. I want to be direct about this: one wrong decision later in life can be extremely hard to reverse. Seniors need unbiased, transparent information they can actually trust. I wanted to create a resource that is practical, plainspoken, and empowering. Not a sales pitch. Not a jargon-filled textbook. Not a one-size-fits-all solution. What I Hope This Book Will Accomplish I hope “Your Retirement Reset” helps Canadians 55+ do a number of things. First, I hope it helps people understand their options more clearly. Too many retirees only hear about a narrow set of choices. I want readers to see the full landscape and understand how different strategies work, including the pros, cons, and trade-offs. Second, I hope it helps people replace fear with confidence. Retirement should not be defined entirely by scarcity thinking. When people understand how to use all of their assets strategically, including home equity, they can make decisions from a position of strength rather than panic. Third, I hope it helps families have better conversations. One of the great hidden challenges in retirement planning is communication. Adult children often mean well, but they may not understand the emotional reality of aging, independence, or financial vulnerability. These conversations matter, and they are often avoided until a crisis forces them. This book is meant to encourage healthier, earlier, and more respectful dialogue. Fourth, I hope it helps more older Canadians protect their dignity and independence. To me, this is the heart of the matter. As I work through my current MBA studies, my life today is filled with spreadsheets. But retirement shouldn’t be. It is about autonomy, confidence, lifestyle, peace of mind, and the ability to live on your own terms for as long as possible. The Information Gap Nobody Is Filling One reason I felt so compelled to write this book is that the resources simply are not where they need to be. There is no shortage of opinions in the marketplace. But there is a shortage of clear, balanced, accessible education specifically designed for older Canadians trying to navigate retirement in the world as it actually exists now. Many books in this category are dated, narrowly focused, or too technical for many of the people I speak with. And it’s to be expected that much of the consumer-facing content around financial products like reverse mortgages comes from lenders themselves. Many seniors are left trying to piece together a life-changing financial strategy from disconnected advice and Google searches. That is the gap I am trying to fill. Canadians need impartial, balanced information they can trust — especially around home equity strategies and retirement financing. I believe Canadians deserve better than that. They deserve a resource that speaks to them in plain language, respects their intelligence, acknowledges the emotional complexity of these decisions, and gives them practical tools to move forward. We Need a More Modern Retirement Roadmap This book is built around a simple idea: retirement planning cannot just be about accumulating savings. It also has to be about learning how to use those resources wisely. That includes understanding how to: • create income • manage spending • shelter income from unnecessary tax pressure • protect savings from fraud and bad decisions • evaluate whether home equity should play a role in your retirement strategy These are the pillars I keep coming back to. They reflect what I believe Canadians in this stage of life truly need.  I want readers to come away not just informed, but steadier. More capable. More hopeful. This Is Personal for Me I am part of this demographic myself. I understand the questions, the transitions, the uncertainty, and the pressure. I also know from lived experience that retirement is not simply a financial event. It is a life event. It affects your confidence, your relationships, your routines, your health, and your sense of who you are. That combination — professional experience and personal experience — is exactly what I bring to every page. That is why I have approached this book not simply as a finance book, but as a practical guide for real people facing real decisions. My hope is simple: that this book helps more Canadians 55+ move into the next chapter of life with greater knowledge, less fear, and a stronger sense of possibility. Because retirement should not just be about getting by. It should be about living with confidence, dignity, and choice. The Book is Now Available for Pre-Order If this message speaks to you, or to someone you love, I hope you will pre-order a copy of Your Retirement Reset. Available September 8, 2026. PRE-ORDER NOW: https://ecwpress.com/products/your-retirement-reset And if you love supporting Canadian booksellers, please also check with your local independent bookstore. Most can easily order it for you. Don’t Retire… Re-Wire! Sue

Retirement Maxxing: How Small Decisions Help You Build a Better Future featured image

10 min

Retirement Maxxing: How Small Decisions Help You Build a Better Future

The basic idea is to pick a corner of your life and optimize it ruthlessly. Sleep maxxing. Health maxxing. Productivity maxxing. In its more extreme corners, people are attempting to optimize their actual physical features. Go ahead and Google "looksmaxxing" if you are curious and have a strong constitution. One influencer named Clavicular — a 20-year-old from Hoboken who claims to have taken a literal hammer to his face to coax a chiselled jawline — has become the reigning king of this particular rabbit hole. Medical experts would prefer you not try that at home. The Globe and Mail published a comprehensive explainer on the whole phenomenon. The Republican National Committee put out a press release praising Donald Trump for "jobsmaxxing" the economy. The Department of Defence posted a soldier with the caption "lethality maxxing." It has become, as one writer put it, the suffix that just will not quit. Retirement Maxxing: because chin waxing, I mean maxxing, was already taken. And yet, buried beneath all the absurdity, the underlying impulse is not entirely ridiculous. Humans want to optimize things. We always have. The real question is whether we are optimizing the right things. Then, as these things sometimes happen, three articles landed in my inbox in the same week and refused to leave my mind. Maxxing. The psychology of future selves. A golfer named Max Greyserman, who sits just one-tenth of a stroke from the top of his sport. I am not a woman who ignores signs. The connection was obvious once I saw it: retirement might be the most important time to apply this kind of thinking. Not the obsessive version involving ice baths and fourteen supplements before breakfast. The practical version. Thoughtful maxxing that quietly stacks the odds in your favour over decades. Retirement isn't just one decision; it's hundreds made over the years, each guiding your future self toward either financial dignity or a Shaggy tribute tour you never signed up for. The “Shaggy Problem”: How Your Retirement Decisions Today Determine Your Financial Security Tomorrow You remember Shaggy. The reggae artist. Enormous hit. "It Wasn't Me." When it comes to retirement, it absolutely was you. Every decision you make today is writing a letter to your future self. Some of those letters are generous and thoughtful. Others arrive decades later, like a bill you forgot to pay, from a creditor with excellent memory and zero sympathy. The seventy-five-year-old version of you hopes the fifty-five-year-old paid attention. The eighty-five-year-old version would very much like functioning knees, a dignified income, and the ability to say "I planned for this" rather than "I did not think it would go this fast." It went that fast. That's why the most useful habit you can develop right now is what I call the future-self test. Before making a major financial or lifestyle decision, pause and ask: how will this look from the other end? Will I still think this tattoo is a good idea when I’m ninety? Will I regret staying in a house that is too large and too expensive for another decade? Will my future self thank me for delaying CPP, or curse me for taking it early because waiting felt uncomfortable? Or as the Beatles asked rather memorably: “when I'm sixty-four, will you still need me, will you still feed me?” The song is charming. The financial planning version is considerably less so if you have not thought it through. The future-self test is not complicated. It is just the habit of writing better letters. What Sports Analytics Can Teach Us About Smarter Retirement Decisions Speaking of decisions that come back to haunt you, let's discuss probabilities. A recent New York Times article about golfer Max Greyserman stopped me mid-scroll (Lindgren, 2026). Not because of the golf — though the golf is fascinating — but because of what it revealed about the gap between what the data says and what people actually do when the stakes are high. Greyserman's scoring average is less than one-tenth of a stroke per round away from the elite level. One-tenth of a stroke. Not a full swing, a putting mistake, or a collapse on the eighteenth. The difference between obscurity and greatness in pro golf is about the time it takes to find your reading glasses. Which, as we've established, were on your head the entire time. Hockey analytics have demonstrated that teams trailing late in a game should often pull the goalie much earlier than the traditional last-ninety-seconds rule. Research indicates that pulling the goalie around the eight-minute mark can significantly boost the chances of scoring, as the extra attacker alters the odds. However, most coaches still wait until the final minute or two. Why? Because if you pull the goalie at eight minutes and lose badly, it can look like you lost your mind. The math checks out, but the optics are terrifying. Soccer offers a similarly uncomfortable example. A widely cited study analysing thousands of penalty kicks found that about one-third of kicks are aimed straight down the middle of the net, yet goalkeepers stay in the centre only around six percent of the time (Chiappori, Levitt, & Groseclose, 2002). Shooting directly down the middle often provides good odds because the keeper has already committed to diving one way or the other. But if the goalkeeper stays put and makes the save, the kicker seems to have tried to outsmart the odds and failed. The math checks out. The optics, however, are still terrifying. Retirement is filled with these moments. And most people make their decisions based on the optics. Common Retirement Decisions Canadians Get Wrong — And What the Data Actually Says: Working a couple of extra years often delivers significantly better retirement outcomes, yet people retire early because they feel emotionally ready. Delaying CPP can greatly increase guaranteed lifetime income, yet many choose to claim early because waiting seems risky. Downsizing can free up cash and lessen financial stress, yet people stay in large homes because selling feels like giving up. Using home equity wisely can boost retirement income, yet many retirees dismiss this option because of a stigma rooted in outdated beliefs rather than current data. In each case, the emotionally comfortable choice is not the one with the best long-term odds. Fear of loss, fear of regret, fear of looking foolish — those emotions sprint ahead of rational thinking every single time. That is why the future-self test matters. Math is universal, but money is deeply personal, and the goal is to let one inform the other before it is too late. The Psychology of Retirement Saving: Why We Treat Our Future Self Like a Stranger The second New York Times article examined the psychology of how we connect with our future selves (The New York Times, 2026). The findings are humbling. Psychologists have discovered that people often see their future self almost like a stranger, which explains why saving for retirement can seem somewhat punishing. It feels less like helping yourself and more like sending a cheque to someone who shares your cheekbones but whose problems seem distant and abstract. Research led by Hal Hershfield found that when people feel more connected to their future selves, they save more and make consistently better long-term financial decisions (Hershfield, 2011). Retirement planning is not just about spreadsheets and withdrawal rates. It is about being genuinely generous towards the person you are becoming. It is a love letter, written in small decisions, over a very long time. So, write a good one. Your future self is counting on you. How to Optimize Your Retirement: A Practical Framework for Canadians If retirement maxxing were a lifestyle trend — and I am formally proposing that it should be — it wouldn’t involve bone-smashing or extreme jawline enhancement. It would look more like this. Health Maxxing: Why Strength and Mobility Are Financial Assets Move your body. Lift weights now and then. Walk up hills. Muscle strength is one of the most underrated assets for retirement that nobody discusses at dinner parties. Research from the National Institute on Aging confirms that strength training improves mobility, balance, and healthy longevity (National Institute on Aging, 2023). These are the very factors that influence whether your later years feel like a gift or a burden. People hesitate over the cost of a gym membership while ignoring the significant long-term benefit of staying upright, independent, and capable. Skipping exercise to save a few dollars is like stepping over a hundred-dollar bill to find a quarter. As Aunt Equity likes to say: be careful not to get out over your skis. (Yes, that was an exercise metaphor. You’re welcome.) Income Maxxing: How to Build Reliable Cash Flow That Lasts Build reliable income streams so you can sleep at night without one eye on the market. Pensions, annuities, dividends, home equity, and carefully structured withdrawals — these all play a role in a well-crafted retirement income plan. The goal isn’t to maximize a single number – it’s to reduce the worry behind all of them. If your retirement plan currently makes you watch financial news at midnight while eating crackers over the sink, something has gone wrong and we should talk. Purpose Maxxing:Why It Matters for Your Health and Longevity Retirement is not a forty-year holiday. Humans need purpose, connection, and something worth getting out of bed for — especially on days when nobody expects you anywhere and the morning is entirely, terrifyingly yours. NIH research consistently shows that social engagement and a sense of purpose are linked to better health and longer life (National Institute on Aging, 2023). Purpose is what makes a retirement that feels like freedom different from one that feels like a long Sunday afternoon with nowhere to go. Somewhere along the way, society decided that aging meant quietly fading into the background. Retirement is when you finally have permission to dye your hair a vibrant colour, volunteer somewhere meaningful, start a project that genuinely excites you, or do all three at once and totally surprise your grandchildren. Purpose is not optional. It is the foundation. Decision Maxxing: How to Overcome Emotional Bias Use data when the stakes are high. Emotions are useful for choosing dessert but much less reliable for planning a thirty-year income. Don't swat away analytics like a fly at a family picnic just because they suggest something uncomfortable. Run projections. Stress-test your plan. Understand probabilities. Pull the goalie early if the math indicates so, even if it looks odd at the moment. Because appearing odd now and being wrong later are not the same thing. Not even close. The Ending That Brings It All Together: Small Decisions That Compound Over Time Here’s what three articles about “maxxing” our future selves, and golf, taught me about retirement. Clavicular is out there taking a hammer to his face in pursuit of optimization. Max Greyserman is grinding for one-tenth of a stroke. Hal Hershfield is reminding us that we treat our future selves like strangers when we should treat them like people we love. And somewhere between all three of them is the retirement insight that really matters: the best decisions compound quietly. Tiny improvements in health, income strategy, purpose, and decision-making build up into dramatically different outcomes over decades. Not because of one dramatic move, but because of many small, sensible ones made with the future in mind. Your future self isn't a stranger waiting to judge you. They are the person you are intentionally becoming, shaped by every decision you make today. Perform the future-self test before making risky decisions like pulling the goalie, shooting down the middle, or getting a tattoo that might lead to an awkward chat with your colonoscopy technician (this is for you, JK). Consider whether your fifty-five-year-old self is being kind to your seventy-five-year-old self. Look at what the data says, not just what feels right. Retirement maxxing isn't about perfection. It's about making small, sensible decisions consistently and thoughtfully over time. Think of it as compound interest for your future self. Einstein allegedly called compounding the most powerful force in the universe. He was talking about money, but he might as well have been talking about the small, steady choices that create a retirement worth living. Your future self will be deeply grateful—having functional knees, a dignified income, and a tattoo they still absolutely love. And when you turn sixty-four, and someone asks how you got there so gracefully, you won't need to channel your inner Shaggy. You just smile and say: It was me! Sue Don’t Retire…ReWire! P.S. Aunt Equity approves. Ready to start retirement maxxing? Here are two things you can do today. Run the future-self test on one financial decision you have been avoiding. Just one. Write down what your seventy-five-year-old self would think of the choice you are leaning toward. You might be surprised what comes up. Move your body and find your people. Join a pickleball club, a walking group, a trivia night, or a bridge league. Laugh often. Sweat occasionally. Your future self needs both, and your colonoscopy technician will be thrilled. Want more insights like this? Subscribe to my free newsletter here, where I share practical strategies, real-world stories, and straight talk about navigating retirement with confidence—not confusion. Plus, all subscribers get exclusive early access to advance chapters from my upcoming book. For Canadians 55+: Get actionable advice on making your home equity work for you, understanding your options, and living retirement on your terms. For Mortgage Brokers and Financial Professionals: Learn how to become the trusted advisor your 55+ clients desperately need (and will refer to everyone they know). This isn't just another revenue stream—it's your opportunity to build lasting relationships in Canada's fastest-growing demographic.

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